


hidden in the snow

by mido



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-26 00:42:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19757089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mido/pseuds/mido
Summary: Once upon a time, they met, under very different circumstances.





	hidden in the snow

The sky is dark when he meets her, in that fateful junkyard. It tends to be where he has all his important encounters nowadays.

Ai wears a ratty purple hoodie with a biker design sewn into the back, cargo shorts and sneakers, unlike it, clearly one of the newer units designed in such a way that they lacked the reproductive organs that made clothing necessary. Still, this one wears a scarf around its shoulders, like it could even feel the frigid winter air to begin with. Ai doesn’t mean to sneak up on it, but it seems like that’s all he ever does, as its shoulders jump when he walks up next to it on the overhang over the section of the junkyard that’s passed off as “obsolete android storage”. It was stupid that SOL even bothered to call it that in the first place-- did  _ anyone _ believe it, much less Ai?

“Good evening.” It says, and Ai notes that its voice sounds female; likely a discarded nanny bot or something of the like. “Evening.” Ai replies gruffly, scrounging around in his pockets for a hair tie to keep his from blowing into his face, as winter is prone to doing. When he finds it he throws his mane up into a messy bun at the back of his head, and asks, “What’s a brand-spankin-new model like you doing out here?” 

The bot’s gaze doesn’t waver from the metal containers upon metal containers, all lined up like dominoes. Her red eyes don’t glimmer like a human’s would from the gust that passes them by, either. “I have been retired.” She says mechanically, as if reciting from a document saved on her hard drive. “My services were no longer needed.” The diamond ‘on’ light on her neck shines a vibrant blue.

Ai wonders just who other than Akira Zaizen has enough money to throw out a brand new SOLtis because its ‘services were no longer needed’. He feels a prick of anger in the back of his head, or more accurately, motherboard. “Oh?” He wonders aloud. “What android’s services could humans ever do without, in this place?”

He’s asking more as a rhetorical question than a legitimate one, but she answers anyway. “My master doesn’t like to keep AIs for long.” She says slowly, as if musing over the very words she’s speaking. “It’s troublesome.” She goes back to talking from a script.

The other android blows a raspberry at her, and she turns to him, blinking blankly at him. Instead of eyes that imitate a human’s, like his, hers are nothing but bloody sclera. “That’s bullshit.” Ai says, and wonders when he became a therapist to abandoned AI. “If it’s troublesome, they shouldn’t have created us in the first place.” He plops himself down beside the scarved android. “I wish people like that would hurry up and finish their lifespan up neatly.” 

She says nothing to affirm nor deny his statement. “I didn’t ask your name.” She seems to remember suddenly, though Ai can tell she’s itching to know what with his ‘radical’ ideas and all.  _ Maybe I’ll finally get arrested and disassembled, _ he thinks morbidly. “Ai.” He tells her simply. A beat of silence spans the two, then the other responds, “I am Pandor.”

Ai sticks out his hand for Pandor to shake. “Great to make your acquaintance.” He says halfheartedly, not really in the mood to be making new friends but too lazy to refuse. She looks at it for a moment like it’s something alien he’s handing to her, but she takes it, and after a second she shakes, then releases it. “Strong grip.” Ai remarks, not really expecting conversation from it, but Pandor seems to have other plans. “Yes.” She says. “I’m able to break every bone in the human hand with my grip alone.”

He looks at her for a second, just a  _ little  _ intimidated, just for a moment there, and laughs. “Yeah.” He manages to get out between chuckles. “Nice.”

Pandor cocks her head at him like she’s not really sure why he’s laughing, but the smile on her face says otherwise and they both know it. “Why are you out here, Ai?” She asks nonchalantly, and the other’s expression immediately descends from mirth to mourning. “To visit my family.” He says, as if it’s the most normal reason in the world, then stands and stretches his arms above his head. “Come on, I’ll take you to meet them.” He holds a hand out for Pandor to take, and she does so without hesitation this time.

‘Family’ is a small pile of what seems to be rusted parts stacked up into a memorial grave of sorts. Ai kneels when they reach it, wiping away a bit of dirt that had gathered at the top, not even hissing when the rust nicks his finger. Nothing comes out-- Ai’s not one of the models they’d added the bleeding feature to. It knits back together within a split-second. “Flame, Lightning, Aqua, Earth, Windy.” He addresses each piece of the grave individually as if greeting old friends. Ai turns to Pandor then, gesturing for her to come closer, so she does. “This is Pandor.” She raises her hand in salutation. “Pleased to meet you.” 

Ai looks satisfied with her greeting, smiling at her gently as if the sunlight of an ear-to-ear grin would be too blinding. She wonders how long it’s been since he’s smiled like that at someone else.

They sit there, talking and getting to know each other in a general sense until the sun has just barely, only slightly started to peek over the horizon, taking a look one way and then another before rising up to its full height and standing proudly. Ai holds up a hand to keep the light out of his eyes. “Whoa, it’s been a while.” He notes, and Pandor notices he sounds surprised, as if he didn’t know he had that many words in him to begin with. “Yes.” She agrees, adjusting her scarf. It’s yellow, with a honeycomb pattern knitted into it, and it waves in the breeze that runs through Ai’s bun and clothes. “I better get going, huh?” He cracks a grin at Pandor, helping her to her feet once more like a true gentleman and zipping up his hoodie. The other doesn’t answer, but just as Ai turns to leave, she calls out, “Wait, please.” 

He turns back to her just as a scarf is thrown around his neck, and she winds it tightly so that it won’t fly away before he can even get a word in edgewise. “This is yours, though.” He points out, and Pandor nods. “Yes. I’m giving it to you.” She says plainly. 

Ai tilts his head at her, and for the first time since he met her, Pandor smiles, just a little, just barely turning the corners of her lips up. “It was nice to meet you and your family, Ai.” She says, clasping her hands behind her back. “I hope I see you again.” 

“Yeah.” Ai says dumbly, unsure of how to respond to her random act of kindness other than  _ thanks _ . “Me too.” He says. 

He waves this time before he walks in the opposite direction she stands. Pandor doesn’t budge; she just watches him go, her warmth practically emanating off her in waves. Once out of her line of sight, Ai looks around to make sure no one’s paying him any mind, and buries his nose in the soft fabric. Its scent is that of sweet vanilla.


End file.
